Judge Dredd Becomes a TV Series

Ever since the gnarly and still vastly underrated Dredd movie from way back in 2012, many including this writer had been anxious to see a sequel with Karl Urban’s fine jawline on the poster. While that was sadly never to be, Judge Dredd is getting his day in court again, this time on the small screen. Indeed, Rebellion Developments, the game publisher who has owned the rights to Dredd and the larger 2000 AD comic book universe since 2000, announced Wednesday that it is partnering with IM Global Television to produce a television series called Judge Dredd: Mega City One.

The new series is described as a drama focusing on a team of street judges, law enforcement officers who act in a dystopian future as judge, jury, and executioner of criminals. The series is set in a grim 22nd century where the eastern seaboard of the United States has morphed into one giant sprawling metropolis called Mega City—the last refuge for law and order on an otherwise smoldering cinder. The series is also promised to deal with modern problems in its futuristic setting, including domestic terrorism and the tensions between the super-rich and disenfranchised.

 “We’re very excited to be beginning the journey to get more of Judge Dredd’s Mega-City One on the television screen,” said Rebellion owners Jason Kingsley and Chris Kingsley. “Thanks to the legions of fans who have kept up pressure on social media, and a lot of background work and enthusiasm, we aim to make a big budget production that will satisfy both our vast comics audience and the even greater general screen-watching public.”

They also released the below video to explain how this may be the most exciting—and lasting—attempt to put Dredd in live-action yet.

Judge Dredd has previously been portrayed onscreen by Sylvester Stallone in an ill-fated 1995 action movie and again by Urban in the 2012 cult classic. The character and his universe was created by John Wagner, Carlos Ezquerra, and Pat Mills in 1977’s 2000 AD #2.